Car Camping with Gear Scout

Rob Curtis over on Gear Scout posted a nice overview of a lot of new camping gear that’s come available.

As a third-grader in the suburbs of New York City, I remember getting kidnapped by my family and taken to an undisclosed, off-grid location for days on end. At first, it was horrible. There was nothing to do. There were bugs everywhere and my remote control Batmobile wouldn’t work on the dirt campsite. After a few trips, though, the trails surrounding the campground became my world of adventure; I met new kids camping in the adjoining sites and made new friends; my father taught me how to make a fire and to enjoy blackened, unrecognizable food.

Perhaps more so now than back then, camping provides family and friends time away from the lights, luxuries and distractions of the connected world. It offers a chance for a deeper connection, one that can’t be had with a status update or shared selfies.

He makes it clear that he’s not talking about ultralight, minimalist expensive camping. He’s talking about your basic get-out-of-the-house-with-the-kids stuff. There’s some great basic overviews in his list, which not coincidentally might be a good primer for someone picking up gear for the first time.